


Not the Fairytale Promised

by CrystalRoza19, NeonCrayons



Series: Autumn Beauty, Burns Gold [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Baby Ruby, F/M, Pre-Cannon AU, Qrow is dad shaped, Raven Stayed, Raven is Ruby's mother, Ruby AU, STRQ, Summer Leaves, Tai needs a hug, Team STRQ - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 12:45:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17224349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalRoza19/pseuds/CrystalRoza19, https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeonCrayons/pseuds/NeonCrayons
Summary: Sometimes the ending promised, is not quite the one we are granted…And sometimes, it's for the better.For the Xiao Long-Branwen family, that sentiment rang true.





	Not the Fairytale Promised

\---1---

Summer ran. 

She ran, not looking back, though every step she took made the pain she was feeling even more prominent. As the distance grew between her husband, her partner, her best friend… and her newborn daughter, she hated herself more and more. She was abandoning everyone she loved…. her team, which was now more like family- the trust forged through struggle and hardship, the bond unbreakable. 

Or so everyone thought. 

But the moment Summer decided to leave, she knew that her actions would shatter that illusion like so much glass, and the trust that took years in the making would fracture. It would never be the same again, and the thought made her ache in regret. 

None of them deserved this…. Tai, who was always so bright and cheerful; Qrow, who was the opposite but whose grumpiness always disguised how much he cared; Raven, who’s cynical approach to life made her the most fiercest out of them all; and Ruby….. Ruby Rose, her daughter, not even a week old and already abandoned by the woman who gave her life.

The woman who was meant to love her wholly and unconditionally….

Summer had always thought she'd be a great mom. Baking cookies by day, and slaying monsters by night. She would have been the perfect combination of wife, mother and Huntress. At least, she had thought so right up until her baby girl opened her eyes. Her  _ silver eyes _ . 

_ ‘Why did they have to be  _ silver _? _ ’ she had asked herself as she cried, late in the night so Tai wouldn't see. If people knew she had a daughter with silver eyes, then neither of them would never be safe. If she wasn't hunted by Salem, she'd become just another piece in Ozpin's game… Summer didn't want that. Not for her daughter. Or for herself…

So she ran. She ran as fast and as far as she could, never once stopping or hesitating.

However, she consoled herself with the knowledge that Tai would be a great father. Not to mention that Qrow and Raven would be there too- the coolest auntie and uncle any child could ever hope for. They would keep her safe, and would love and care for her. 

Summer knew, with Team _TRQ around, that Ruby would never be without love, because the three of them were the absolute  _ best _ people Summer had ever been given the honor of knowing. They had been her team, had stood beside her through thick and thin and loved her more than she'd thought was possible. So yes, she knew with absolute certainty that they would love her daughter just as strongly, just as fiercely and just as protectively as they had her.

\---2---

Days. Weeks. Months passed quicker than they ever had before.

Soon enough,  Ruby was six months old- crawling and climbing on anything and everything she could get her little hands on. Just as long had passed since Summer had up and left in the middle of the night, deserting her family and responsibilities without a single word to anyone. 

Tai had held onto the hope that she would come back, Raven had too… for the first few weeks, but after a month had passed she had given up, instead getting more and more angry as she attempted to hunt the woman down. But her efforts were all in vain, for every time Raven would find her, Summer would vanish, leaving nothing more than a burst of white rose petals and a furious Corvid in her wake. 

It had taken him the longest, but eventually Tai too had given up all hope in seeing Summer ever again. 

Qrow, on the other hand, he was a realist. He knew from the very morning they found out Summer was gone that she would never return. It pained him to accept that she had just up and left them the way she did, but… someone had to. She had forsaken them all, and usually that meant it was final. The sooner his family accepted that simple fact, the better off they would all be. 

Still, that didn’t make it any easier, and he would never understand why she had done it. They were a family, and family didn’t just end in blood- not to a Branwen. For so long, Qrow only had Raven, his other half, as he never truly saw the tribe as family the way his sister had. But then they had met Summer and Taiyang, and the four of them had grown close at their time at Beacon, and had formed a new family. 

So even before Summer had left, Qrow and his sister had told them that they would be there to help raise Ruby.  The tribe had raised all its children together, so the twins didn't see why their team would be any different. After she'd left though, Tai had understandably been a wreck, and they did all they could to be there for him. The three adults took turns caring for Ruby, Hunting by day, as they had done since becoming huntsmen, and keeping watch over their small secluded home by night. 

It was a new habit neither twin had a solid explanation for. Maybe it was just a mix between paranoia and instinctual over-protectiveness in response to the child in their care, or perhaps it was their avian blood telling them the young one under their charge needed to be protected from danger at all times... regardless, the three of them made it work. 

Slowly, Qrow grew used to and content with the life the four of them were putting together. While he wished Summer could be there with them, sharing this new life… she had made her choice to leave. 

Qrow wasn't going to try and change her mind.

\---3---

Raven had never wanted a family. She was a fighter.  _ A warrior _ . By nature, she was always a little cold, and stubborn- not to mention a major pessimist. She was sure anyone would agree that those traits were the exact  _ opposite  _ of the nurturing type. Hell, she was barely a passable sister as it was. 

So she always assumed that, when she learned there was to be new child on the way, that she would be the cool, bad influencing auntie. The one all the kids adored because she let them play with weapons and stay up past their bedtime eating candy. Raven was  _ never  _ meant to be _ a mother, _ or at least that's what she had spent her whole life telling herself. 

But, the day Ruby had looked up and called her “mama,” Raven felt herself instantly melt. 

Summer had been gone almost a year and slowly, her relationship with Tai had started to change. They had begun to grow closer and while at first she had feared it, thinking that it was way too soon, when she had confessed what was happening to Qrow, he had been nothing but supportive and had assured her doubts. He had told her that it was fine, that she wasn't betraying anyone by developing feelings for Tai, and if he returned them then she shouldn't be worrying so much. 

So really, deep inside, she wasn’t surprised that Ruby had called her that. It made sense, and really she should have seen it coming sooner. Tai was there when it happened, and he looked up from his daughter to gauge her reaction, gaze apprehensive. Raven could guess at what he was thinking- was she okay with Ruby calling her mom? Should he tell her  _ not  _ to? Raven looked away from the pair for a moment to consider it…  _ was _ she okay with it?

“Mama!” Ruby called again, this time reaching her little hands out to the dark-haired women.

Raven smiled and she couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped her. Well, looks like her decision was already made. “Yeah baby, mama’s here,” she told the child.

Grinning, Tai offered Ruby over to her, and once Raven had her nestled snugly in her arms he scooted over to her and wrapped his arms around them both. “I love you, Rae,” he said quietly, but with absolute conviction. It made her heart skip a beat, something that she honestly thought would never happen, and she turned around to look at him, seeing the tenderness and affection in his eyes. 

It was amazing, really, that he could still feel such a thing, especially after what happened with Summer. But he had always been strong like that and it was something that Raven had always admired about him. Now, as she viewed his bright smile, something she had feared would dim this past year, she felt a burst of relief, quickly followed by such warmth that it was incredible she hadn’t burst into flame yet. 

“I love you too, Tai,” she managed to respond, and that was something else she never thought would happen. Raven never believed until now that this would be the life for her. She'd always been a fighter, not a lover and she could count on one hand the number of times she'd actually said those words out-loud to another person. Even then, it has always been to her brother when he needed to hear it, never anyone else

But, sitting here in Tai's arms, with Tai's- no,  _ their _ baby in her hands…. Well, it just felt  _ right _ . 

\---4--- 

It’s been two years since Summer Rose had fled her family's home during the dead of night, running from everyone and everything she held dear. Twenty-six months if she wanted to be exact. Not that she was counting or anything…. 

In those months, she had traveled far and wide across all of Remnant, never lingering for long. Summer had gone from city, to town and to village, using her gifts to help wherever she could. It was the only thing that gave her life purpose now, to go around saving lives and helping people. Protecting life.

But she never stopped thinking of the people she left behind... and most nights, when she couldn't sleep, she would gaze up at the ceiling of whatever Inn she was staying at, and her thoughts would drift back to the past, to the memories she always tried to suppress. It was too painful to remember, for what was the use when she would never see them again? She had done this to herself, and so she knew she deserved this…. but still, it hurts. 

It hurts to remember her husband, for she still loved Tai as deeply as the day she married him. She missed his laugh, his exasperating puns and his never-ending optimism. He was always the person Summer went to first when she troubled by something, and more often than than not he was able to bring her comfort. 

It hurts to think of Raven. Strong beautiful, Raven- the first real friend she ever made. The girl who pushed her harder than anyone else because she believed in her as both a leader and a friend. 

It hurts to think of Qrow… her partner. The person she had always trusted to watch her back and keep her safe. Lost and broken by a world that scorned his very existence, Summer had been the first person to accept him for who he was without ever asking for anything in return. 

And lastly, it hurts to remember Ruby… the daughter Summer had left behind. Her little face from the last time she saw her, sleeping peacefully in her cradle, was engraved in her memories. She was so tiny back then, so fragile, that for a moment Summer had hesitated when she went to say goodbye. Now, she already missed so many milestones- her first laugh, first steps, first words… She would never be able to see them, and the regret was so heavy in her chest that for a moment, Summer honestly thought she was dying.

Perhaps that was why she was hiding within the forest of Patch, just out of view of the house her team had bought together after graduating Beacon. Just one look… just a single glance, that's all Summer needed and then she would be fine to return to her self imposed exile without ever darkening their doorstep again. She just…. couldn’t take the pain anymore. 

Suddenly, Summer was startled out of her thoughts when she heard a sudden, high-pitched voice shouting out. 

“Uncle Qrow! Come on, Uncle Qrow! Mommy's home!” The voice shrieked excitedly. Summer stepped forward slightly, just in time to see a little girl dressed scarlet hood, with black and red hair- exactly like her own- run out of the front door, followed quickly by her former partner. 

Ruby _. Her daughter _ . 

“Yeah, yeah, I'm coming! Hold your horses, will ya?” Qrow said fondly, catching up to Ruby and ruffling her hair. 

Summer swallowed, a task made difficult by the lump in her throat. Her baby girl had grown up so much…

Unthinkingly, she moved forward to jump down from her hidden perch crouched in a tree, but just before she could, she heard a familiar sound. It was someone coming through one of Raven’s portals. She stopped abruptly, coming to her senses. 

Just what had she been about to do? To even think of revealing herself like that…. Maybe coming here was a bad idea. Not to mention, how had she not even noticed the swirling red vortex just beyond the treeline until now? 

‘ _ You’re better than this,’ _ Summer scolded herself. She moved back to her earlier spot, then turned her attention back towards the house.

Out of the portal stepped Tai, still as tall and handsome as the last time she'd seen him, with Raven quickly following after him. But unlike her former husband, she looked  _ vastly  _ different. Raven’s hair hung loose, dark locks cascading down her back, with only a orange sash keeping most of it tamed.  She was also in a simple, slightly baggy dress- unlike her usual tight-fitting ones- and her sword was no longer attached to her hip. Any one of these things would have been out of place with the Raven that Summer knew… as it was, it was enough to have alarm bells ringing. 

“Mommy! Daddy! Your home!” Ruby shouted. Summer started again, thinking the child must have accidentally spotted her, but the little girl didn’t even glance at her, instead running and jumping up towards Tai, who crouched down and scooped her up into his arms. Raven smiled from where she stood by his side, and she leaned down to kiss the little girl’s forehead. 

”Hello, my little Finch,” she hummed,“have you been mischievous for Uncle Qrow while we were away?” Ruby nodded, grinning, and went on to tell them all about what she and Qrow had gotten up to while they were gone. Even from where she was, Summer could see the look of love on Raven’s face as she and Tai patiently listened to the two year-old ramble. The happiness in her eyes was something Summer had never seen before

The longer she watched them, the more she noticed how much everything had changed.  But it wasn't until Tai adjusted his hold on Ruby to wrap an arm Raven’s waist, highlighting her swollen belly, that Summer realized just how  _ much  _ things have changed. In that moment, she became aware of  _ why _ Raven was wearing such a dress. Why she obviously wasn't carrying her weapon.

Raven was  _ pregnant _ .

Not only that, but Summer had also noticed how Ruby had been calling Raven ‘Mommy’ since the beginning… Now, as she put these facts together, she could no longer deny what her eyes had been telling this whole time- that Tai had already moved on and was building a new family  _ without _ her.

In her shock, Summer’s footing slipped slightly in the tree, rustling the leaves of the branch she was hiding behind. She quickly recovered, but it was too late. While the noise was not enough for the happy little family to detect, distracted as they were, Qrow was a different story. His incredible senses picked up on the barely perceptible sound, and immediately, he looked over in her direction. It didn't take him long to spot her, and the instant he did, his face hardened. 

The moment Qrow turned away, Summer breathed a sigh in relief, but the feeling soon vanished once he spoke up.

“Right, I hate to interrupt this tender moment, but you guys should probably head inside,“ he drawled,”I'm gonna go for a quick fly- you can tell me what the doc said later.” Tai and Raven agreed and headed in with Ruby, while Qrow stayed behind. Once they were gone, he started to walk her way.

Summer panicked slightly. This was  _ not _ how she planned for things to go. There was never supposed to be any confrontation…. Thinking fast, she examined her options. She  _ could  _ try to teleport away, but that would still leave evidence that she'd been there- something she would prefer to avoid. That left her with nothing else but to meet up with Qrow and hope for the best….. 

Yeah, as if. 

To Summer’s surprise, once Qrow caught up to her, he didn’t stop, instead passing by her tree and continuing further into the forest, only sparing her a quick glance. He was all but daring her  _ not _ to follow him, and that was something Summer couldn’t take laying down. 

Once they were far enough away from the house that nobody would see or hear them, she leapt down from the trees above to join Qrow on the ground, only a few meters away from him but enough to still feel the tension radiating from him. 

Summer stared up at her former partner nervously. The entire time she had known the Branwen twins, Qrow had always been the nice one, the ‘good twin.” But now, his red eyes were full of malice, none of the warmth that had always been present to be seen. Not that she deserved it...

He remained silent as she fumbled for words, figuring if they were going to talk she'd have to initiate the conversation herself. In the end, she went with a simple, “Hey, Qrow…” 

“What the  _ hell _ do you think your doing here, Summer?” He immediately burst out with. She winced. “You think you can just abandon your family for two years and then just waltz back in like nothing happened?”

She looked away, not wanting him to see the pain in her eyes. “I never intended to be spotted. I just wanted to see Ruby, just once. I…” Summer hesitated, “I’m sorry, Qrow....” She didn’t know else to say. What else _could_ she say? 

Crossing his arms, Qrow’s glare intensified. “And what, pray tell, do you think gives you the  _ right  _ to see her?” He demanded, voice cold. “What makes you think you're still welcome here?” When he didn't get an answer, he stalked forward- towering over her threateningly. “After all this time, why do you suddenly want to see her? Why now?” 

Summer didn’t know what to tell him…for she herself didn’t know. Why did she decide  _ now  _ of all times to check in on them? She could only give him the truth,“I don’t know…” 

“Heh. You don’t know… Typical.” Qrow laughed, without any humour. He shook his head, done with this conversation “Leave.” 

“Qrow-” she tried, but the look he gave her instantly made her stop. Her eyes may turn Grimm to stone, but his gaze made her feel as if she were nothing. Nothing at all. 

“Leave, now,”  he continued frostily, as if Summer had never spoken. “Don’t come back, don’t try and contact any of us and never darken our door with your presence  _ ever _ again.” 

Tearfully, Summer nodded. She  turned away from her former teammate for the last time and readied herself to teleport away- petals be damned… Right now, all she wanted to do was get as far away from here as possible. 

\---5---

Beautiful. 

That's all Tai could think as he watched Raven sway back and forth as she held their newborn daughter. He could just stand there and watch her all day... 

Softly, the dark-haired women began to sing to the little blonde bundle wrapped up in her arms. “Hush little baby, don't say a word, papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird. But if that mockingbird don't sing, mama's gonna steal you a diamond ring…”

“I don't think that's how the song goes, Rea,” Tai laughed.

Raven just glared at her husband, miffed that he interrupted her. “Shut it! It's my song and I'll sing it how I like, _thank_ _you_.” 

Tai just shook his head.“Fair point. You gonna continue?” His wife rolled her eyes and returned her attention back to the infant. 

Smiling, Tai continued to watch the amazing display of motherhood in front of him, but a small, niggling fear lurked in the back of his mind, persisting despite his attempts to suppress it. It was what kept him from letting Raven out of his sight for longer than a few minutes, always hovering even when he knew it sometimes annoyed her. 

He was already aware that he had no reason to fear that Raven would vanish from his side, but the lasting side-effects of Summer's abandonment still had roots deeply embedded in his heart. Tai tried to ignore them; truly he did… but they would not leave him. 

Tai was beginning to think they never would. 

Suddenly, a hand landed on Tai's shoulder and he turned to see his brother-in-law standing behind him. Qrow had a sympathetic look in his red eyes, as if he could read Tai's every fear and worry just by glancing at him. Hell, maybe he could. 

“Come on, let Raven have some alone time with the little Canary,” he said pulling him away from the doorway and leading him to the porch outside, where the sky was stained a dusky orange. 

“I keep telling you two- we are  _ not _ naming her  _ Canary _ !!” Tai said, exasperated. 

Qrow just rolled his eyes. Honestly, he and Raven were more alike than they thought. ”Sorry man, but you've been overruled.” 

“Canary’s aren't even Corvids” he muttered, more to himself than the other man. 

Qrow ignored his comment, instead jumping straight to the main issue at hand. “I know it's hard,” he said, “but try not to worry so much...we are  _ not _ going anywhere, Tai. Not Raven, not me and  _ definitely _ not those little girls.”

Tai sighed- guess Qrow  _ had  _ noticed after all. But then, he had always been incredibly perceptive of the people around him. He could read people like an open book and while Tai usually hated it… right now, he desperately needed someone to tell him that his panic was unwarranted. 

“I get that after what Summer did, it's hard not to think  _ what if,”  _ He continued. “But Raven loves you. She loves Ruby… and she'll love that little ball of sunshine just as much. My sister had claimed you all as her own, and she is possessive by nature- there’s no escape from it.” Qrow smiled fondly, looking out at the evening sun as he spoke of his older sister. 

Tai let out a breath. “Yeah, I know. And I trust Raven, I  _ do _ ! But… there's this little nagging voice in the back of my head, and it's telling me to be afraid… that Ruby and I weren't enough for Summer, so why would we be enough for Raven?” His hand trembled slightly as he gripped the railing. “I know it's stupid, and I know that I have nothing to worry about… but, I just can't  _ help _ it.” 

To Tai’s surprise, Qrow pulled him into a one-armed hug, “I understand,” he told him softly. “it's not stupid. You have every right to feel the way you do, even if i wish you didn't have to.” Finally, he couldn't hold it in any longer, and Tai buried his face in the other man's shoulder and just let go. 

He'd been holding back his grief for so long, afraid to let his emotions out lest they consume him… but to have Qrow stand there and offer him the validation he so badly needed was too much. As he cried, he finally felt free of all his doubts for the first since he could remember since that fateful night. To know that he was allowed to be afraid of things, and that his anxiety was understandable. 

Tai may not agree with Qrow on everything, and the two may argue and fight like cats and dogs from time to time, But. He would always be glad to have the other man in his life-  to call him brother. 

Eventually, Tai felt composed enough to pull back. “Thanks, Qrow,” He said, giving him a small smile. 

“Any time, Tai. You’re family-  I'll always have your back.” Qrow replied, patting him on the back. “Now go back inside and talk to my sister. And for god’s sake, just pick a name for my niece already! Poor girl’s already a week old, she needs a name!” He gave him a push towards the door. 

Laughing away what remained of his breakdown, the blonde simply nodded and headed back inside, back to the woman he loved and to their two beautiful children. Raven, Ruby and his sunny little Dragon. 

_ Yang… Yang Xiao Long. _

  
A perfect name for their perfect little miracle. Now, if only he could get Raven to agree… Qrow was right, after all. Their little girl needed a name.

**Author's Note:**

> So i had a few people on discord asking about Summer, and thought- Hey, why not write something pre-cannon for my Raven Stayed/Ruby & Yang Age Swap AU.
> 
> anywho, enjoy these little snippets from Team STRQ from after Summer leaves. 
> 
> As always you can find me of Tumblr at @drunk-bird-dad and on Discord at @NeonCrayons  
> Reviews and Kudo's are always appreciated!! <3


End file.
